Medical Symptoms and Facts

A Short Guide to West Nile Virus Symptoms
Once only confined to certain areas and continents, the West Nile virus has now taken to affecting citizens in places where it once did not exist. How is this disease spread and how will you know if you have it?

From infected animals, the West Nile virus is transmitted to humans by mosquitoes. Once this occurs, it can take anywhere from 5 to 15 days before symptoms appear.
West Nile virus symptoms include general complaints like fever, fatigue and loss of appetite, nausea and vomiting. Swollen lymph nodes, which indicate the presence of an infection, may be seen in some patients. Headache, sore throat, muscle and joint pains, and back ache may also occur. Rashes may also be seen on the patient, especially in his trunks and extremities.
In a lot of cases though, West Nile virus symptoms may be too mild to be noticeable or are absent entirely. And because this disease is generally self-limiting, it usually requires no medical attention other than for the alleviation of troublesome symptoms and to prevent other infections from creeping in.
However, in more severe cases of the disease, usually among the elderly, West Nile virus symptoms include symptoms of nervous system involvement, like seizures, extreme muscle weakness, paralysis, aversion to light and changes in the person’s consciousness. Other signs of brain inflammation or encephalitis, such as a stiff neck, may also be present. Presence of these symptoms warrants a stay in the hospital to improve the patient’s condition. This disease, however, is very rarely fatal.

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Getting to Know the Types of STD
One of the growing concerns of today’s society, particularly among the younger generations, is the prevalence of sexually transmitted disease (STD). STDs affect a large amount of people and the lack of knowledge has only worsened the statistics. As in war, it is important to know the enemy, which in this case are the types of STD.
Gonorrhea is a kind of STD that is caused by infectious bacteria known as Neisseria gonorrhoeae. This disease can cause symptoms like discharge and painful urination. More alarmingly, this disease can be transmitted from mother to child during childbirth.

Chlamydia is another kind of STD and is commonly caused by bacteria known as Chlamydia trachomatis. Chlamydia affects not only the reproductive system but other organ systems as well causing diseases like pneumonia and conjunctivitis. One of this disease’s most serious complications is sterility. Fortunately, Chlamydia is easily treated by antibiotics.
The cause of herpes, on the other hand, is the herpes simplex virus. Like Chlamydia, this virus can cause infections in other organ systems, particularly the nervous system. And like gonorrhea, herpes can also be transferred to the newborn during childbirth.
Of the different types of STD, syphilis is probably the most difficult for doctors to diagnose since it has a tendency to mimic other diseases. One clue that it may be syphilis is the presence of a painless ulcer early on.
Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) is one of the most serious types of STD. Aside from sexual contact, it can also be spread through other means like sharing needles (IV drug use) or getting pricked by an infected needle.

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